Eurovision to bar countries at war from hosting

Eurovision Song Contest organisers announced rule changes Wednesday excluding any country in an armed conflict from hosting the competition and increasing the mininum age of competitors. While they did not mention any country by name, Israel, which has been at war in Gaza since 2023, came close to winni

The EBU said it could commission an independent security assessment before deciding whether a winning country is capable of hosting the event safely.

The statement did not mention any country by name, but Israel came close to winning the competition in both 2025 and 2026, ultimately finishing second on each occasion.

The event’s organizers would not say whether that included Israel, but its participation has been a matter of contention during the war in Gaza.

The organizers of the music competition said that under the new rules, 'the winning broadcaster will automatically be ineligible to host the Contest if an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region.'

The organizers of the music competition said that under the new rules, 'the winning broadcaster will automatically be ineligible to host the Contest if an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region.'

New rule comes amid controversy over Israel's continued participation in Europe's glitzy song contest.

Updates rules from the Eurovision Song Contest mean a winning country could be blocked from hosting the following year. The new rules from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) state that winning countries will not be able to host if the country is involved in “an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation”, or